Improvement in car-couplings



S. GREGORY.

Car Coupling. No. 113,160. IPatentedv March 28, 18'71.

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Letters Patent No. 113,160, dated March28; 1871.

IMPRVEMENT IN CAR-COUPL-INGS..

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, STEPEN GREGORY, of Jonesville, in the county of Hillsdale and' State of Michigan, have invented certain Improvementsin Automatic OarlGoupliugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, mainly, to the combination of a link-head-(connected with the draw-bar of one car) with a draw-head formed with two daring jaWs, connected with the draw-bar ci' the car to be coupled with, the dat and deep sides of the link-head-and the inner sides of the draw-head jaws standing in a vertical plane, in order that there maybe no impediment to the coupling of cars having great inequality in height.

My invention also relates to combining with such drawhead a transverse spring-actuated coupling-pin and a check or uncoupling-pin, so that the said drawhead and link may be automatically coupled in a reliable manner, and to obviate the necessity of having to change the couplings on roads where the cars are liable to be reversed end for end, and soY get mixed. My invention further provides for combining the link and draw-head in one bii'urcated coupling, either branch of which may be adjusted readily to match a misplaced car.

flfhe accompanying drawing represents the bifnrcated couplings in perspective in a proper relative position for coupling. i y

l' will first proceed to describe the compound or double-branched arrangement, as shown in thedrawing, where the body of" thebii'urcated coupling-head 1s indicatedat A, one of such couplings being adjustably connected to each draw-bar, as hereinafter explained.

The coupling-head is formed with two branches, itv

and a', diverging horizontally from a common base.

The branch a, which I term the link-branch, terinmates in a wide linkfshaped head, standing edgewise; `or, in other words, the bar portion 12, which draws on the coupling-pin, stands vertical, and it' isv made stronger than would be needed for mere draft, as it must resist impact; and the branch a, which constitutes the draw-head and carries the coupling and uncoupling-pins, terminates with daring jaws, so arranged as to admit the vertical link-head between them, saidjaws being shosva at fj.

Y `D is a broken section of the draw-bar, theouter end of which is ir1se1tedliet\veen the flanges ff of the coupling-head, andissecurcd thereto by the pivot-pin or bolt p and theidjnsting-pin p', which secures either vbranch ci'the coupling-head in line with the center of the track. I

I usually form the end of the draw-bar inserted in the coupling with a T- head ,'as shown at T, the ou ter l edge lorlning a circular arc 'concentric with the point 1J, and abut-ting against aconcav'ty formed in the central solid portion of the coupling-head t0 support4 structed with rolled-iron plates united to a central 1 section.

i is a spring, acting against the coupling-pin so as to drive it within the opening in the link-head in the act of coupling. This spring may be as shown, or coiled around an extension of the pin-journal, or made, hung, and operated in any other suitable and eiiective way.

ll 'is ,the uncoupling-pin, inserted vertically in the opposite jaws, so, that, in drawing, the free end of the coupling-pin will abut against it.

The operation is as follows:

The two pins E F are always (except in the imrne diate act-oi' uncoupling)'kept inthe position shown in the drawing, and when the car is to be coupled its link, or draw-head branch, as the case may be, is rst (if required) put in line, by means of the adjustingpin, with the match branch'that happens to be in the trackfline on the car of the train to be coupled to- .that is, the link-head must be opposite the draw-head,

or nice versa. v

WVhen the train is backed the bar of the link-head and the coupling-pin impinge, and the pin is swung back against the spring until liberated by said bar passing beyond its free end, when the spring forces` the pin to swing back through the openingin the linkhead and the coupling is automatically eli'ected.

'lo uncouple, the pin F is withdrawn and the coupling-pin is then free to swing outward; but on the dis eugagementof 'the link it should always be returned to its first position and the uncoupling-pin reiuserted in place, excepting in case of training, when coupling is not desired, and then the coupling-pin may be swung so as to bear outside of the uucoupling-pin,which will prevent the link-head from entering the jaws.

The impact of the link-bar and draw-head may be relieved, if deemed necessary, by the insertion of an elastic blocking (not shown) at lthe internal angle formed by the diverging jaws of the draw-head.

The 'descriptionof Vthe preliminary adjustment of the bifurcated coupling-head has, of course, .no application to a simile-branched' head, as defined in the drawing, where the extra link and draw-head are supposed to be cut off inthe lines x, for in this single arrangement each male and female-coupiing isunadjustably but reniovably attached to its respective draw-bar, and then, in caschi' the reversal of any cars on theftrack,.the couplings would necessarily. require changing?- My coupling is simple and strong in4 the arrangement of its parts, cheap in construction, and thoroughly reliable in its operation. Its adaptability to couple together automatically cars of varying heights is only limited by the link-space vertically, and this can be increased to any desired extent with but smallextra expenditure of metal. Its employment will entail but little additional expense over the commonlink and pin, and will prevent the frequent crushing inj nri'esto employs who couple byhand.

I claim as my inventionl. The bifurcated coupling A, having the part a providedA with the vertical bar b, while the branch a has the flaring jaws jj, pins E F, and spring, the coupling being pivoted to the draw-bar D, so that either branch a or a' cau be brought into line with the centerof the track, all operating substantially as described.

2. The arrangement and combination of the transverse couplingpin E, spring i, and nncpupling-piu F' with the draw-head a', substantially as set forth, for coupling the link and draw-head automatically together, when arranged relatively, as provided inthe preceding clauses.

STEPHEN GREGORY.

Witnesses C. T. 000K,

O'rro L. J omvsoN. 

